DALLAS, TX.- A monumental pair of Elimeyer German Silver 14-Light Candelabra was the top draw, to the tune of $86,638, in
Heritage Auctions' $1.35+ million Sept. 26 Signature® Silver & Vertu Auction, held at the company's Design District Annex, 1518 Slocum Street, in Dallas.
"These beautiful candelabra drew tremendous collector interest before the auction," said Tim Rigdon, Director of Silver & Vertu Auctions at Heritage, "and the final price they brought, almost three times the pre-auction estimate of $30,000+, shows that quality was key to those collectors, and they bid accordingly."
The auction total of $1.35+ million came from 536 bidders vying for 1,068 lots in the auction, translating into a 91% sell-through rate by total lot value.
A 10-piece Tiffany Gold Gentleman's dressing set, Tiffany & Co., New York, New York, circa 1910, consisting of 10 pieces, proved popular with collectors at $35,850, while a Spanish five-piece Silver Tea and Coffee Service with Tray, Madrid, Spain, circa 1900 equaled that mark with a $35,850 price realized of its own.
A duo of fine silver flatware services - a 385 piece service by Henri Soufflot, Paris, France, circa 1890 and a 308 piece service by Tiffany & Co., New York, New York, circa 1905 - both performed well, rising through several rounds of bidding to bring the same final price realized of $26,290.
One of the auction's most intriguing and well-anticipated offerings was Part One of Five of a collection of rare Match Safes from a prominent East Coast Collection.
"Part one of this amazing collection featured a little more than 200 pieces, just a fraction of the nearly 1,500 total pieces in this collection," said Rigdon," which Heritage will continue offering in our Silver & Vertu sales over the next year."
The grouping did not disappoint, bringing more than $294,000 altogether, led by a highly important and beautifully crafted Gorham Antler and Silver Match safe featuring a highly stylized and intricate Japanese warrior figure on the base, with a stylized carp on the top - considered one of the great "match safe masterpieces" in existence by leading match safe scholar Neil Shapiro - which brought an impressive $22,705 final price realized.
Other highlights of the collection included a rare California Gold and Quartz match safe, attributed to Shreve & Co., San Francisco, CA, circa 1875, a masterpiece of composed of a geometric mosaic of rose, moss and gold quartz panels separated by gold bands to the front, brought $14,938, while a Georges Le Saché Tiffany Gold and Enamel match safe, Paris, France, circa 1900, brought $13,145 for its wonderfully crafted 18 karat gold with raised and chased foliate design in cobalt blue over a chartreuse enamel ground.
The next offering of Match Safes from a Prominent East Coast Collection will be Dec. 7, with a special preview at the Annual Convention of the International Match Safe Association, to be held in Anaheim, CA the weekend of Nov. 4-6.
Further highlights include, but are not limited to:
A Tiffany & Co Small Silver and Mixed Metal Coffee Pot: Tiffany & Co., New York, NY, circa 1877. Realized: $19,120.
A Vander English Silver Gilt 168-piece Flatware set: C J Vander Ltd., London, England, circa 1971-1975. Realized: $17,925.
An Italian Silver Tureen, with cover, liner Undertray and ladle: Unknown maker, Italy, circa 1970. Realized: $16,730.
